What is Local SEO? Your Basic Local SEO Guide

If not, you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers because 50 percent of consumers who do a local search on their smartphone visit a store within one day. You can capitalize on that business by being one of the first listings that appear on their search.

Local SEO might sound complicated, but you can get started with a few steps. Keep reading to learn more about local SEO, why it’s essential and what you can do to get started today.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO (or search engine optimization) is an effective way to promote your brick-and-mortar business to your local audience. If you’ve ever searched for a restaurant, shop or doctor’s office on Google, you’ve likely seen local listings pop-up.

Local listings appear when someone searches a phrase that has high-purchasing intent. For example, if they search “coffee shop in London” instead of “how to brew coffee at home.” If you own a coffee shop near this searcher, you’ll want your business to come up first because it’s highly likely that they’re out in London looking for coffee.

These listings can be paid for by the business, but they can also be achieved organically by a variety of local SEO techniques.

What Factors Determine Rank?

Just like regular SEO, local SEO uses a variety of different factors to determine which businesses pop up when someone searches. Some things search engines take into consideration include:

1. Prominence and Popularity

Local SEO is a bit of a popularity contest. The more positive reviews a business has, the more likely it is to show up in results.

2. Relevance

If a customer is looking for a coffee shop, search engines want to show them the most relevant results so they get what they’re searching for.

3. Proximity

Search engines are always going to show options that are closest to the person searching.

How To Improve Ranking

Local SEO might sound intimidating, but there are some easy things to you can do right now to set yourself up for success:

1. Localize Your Website

Your website won’t show up in search results if Google can’t figure out where you’re located. Make sure you include the area you’re in naturally throughout your website.

2. Claim Your Business Page on Google

Setting up your Google My Business page is crucial to your local SEO success. Get the page set up and make sure the information is always up-to-date.

3. Get More Reviews and Ratings

Search engines take customer feedback seriously, and the more positive ratings and rakings you have, the more potential customers will see your business. That’s why it’s always a good idea to have your loyal patrons write reviews.

4. Build Citations Across the Web

Citations are business listings that include your business’s name and contact information. Double check that your business is listed in all the popular online directories such as Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Learn More About Digital Marketing

Local SEO should be just one element of your total digital marketing strategy. Take a look at all the different services Expect Best has to offer. No matter what your marketing needs are, our experts can help your business succeed.